ROCKFORD — Brenda Rosa waited two years to adopt a new pet after her dog Sassy died.

It was hard to move on after the Australian shepherd/pit bull mix was with the family for 17 years, but on Tuesday, she found a playful young puppy at Winnebago County Animal Services shelter she was ready to bring home.

Cason, a 6-month-old black and white pit bull, sealed his new home with Rosa when she bent down to pet him and was greeted with a few gentle laps of his tongue to her face.

“He just silently said ‘take me,’” she said.

Winnebago County residents adopted 695 dogs from Animal Services last year, a 3 percent increase from 2011. It was the first time since 2008 — roughly the same time as the Great Recession took hold of the Rock River Valley — that the number of dogs adopted increased year over year.

It can cost between $580 and $875 a year to feed and care for a dog, depending on its size, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Animal Services had the economy in mind as it looked to increase its adoption levels last year, said Jennifer Stacy, deputy director. A series of discount adoption specials and the addition of an off-site adoption agency — Terri’s Aqualand Pet Center in Loves Park — helped foster the increase, Stacy said. Animal Services also had a 6 percent increase in the number of cats adopted last year.

The bargain of adoption played into Rosa’s decision. She’ll adopt Cason for $110, which includes neuter surgery and all proper vaccinations.

“That makes a big difference,” Rosa said.

Adoptions are below pre-recession levels. About 4 percent fewer dogs and 25 percent fewer cats were adopted last year than in 2007. The recession began in December 2007, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.

A more comforting trend for Stacy is that the number of animals impounded has also dropped during that same time period, which means fewer animals are euthanized.

There were 16 percent fewer dogs impounded and 28 percent fewer cats impounded last year than in 2007.

Stacy said when she started with animal services 13 years ago, she could travel to one spot in Rockford and undoubtedly find stray dogs.

“I don’t have that anymore,” she said.

Stacy hopes it’s a sign people are being more responsible with their pets and messages about the importance of spay and neuter surgeries are being heeded.